Chicago, IL

Finding a Church in Chicago: 1,875 Congregations Sorted by Tradition and Neighborhood

15 minute read Churches List editorial desk

A soaring gothic stone church between chicago brick two-flats with the elevated train track behind, rendered in stipple ink with sepia wash.
A soaring gothic stone church between chicago brick two-flats with the elevated train track behind, rendered in stipple ink with sepia wash.

Chicago lists 1,875 congregations inside the city limits, the largest city count in this directory. Every tradition sorted, the densest church corridors mapped, and what a newcomer finds behind each door.

1,875congregations inside Chicago
44distinct traditions represented
559listings with a church website

Chicago lists 1,875 congregations in the Churches List directory, the largest city count on the platform, spread across 67 ZIP codes and 44 distinct traditions. The city's church stock tells its settlement history in brick and stone: Polish and Irish Catholic parishes ring the old industrial belts, the South and West Sides hold one of the deepest Black Baptist benches in America, and the bungalow neighborhoods carry storefront congregations by the hundred.

Baptist congregations lead at 347 listings, with another 160 under the Baptist Missionary Association banner. Catholic parishes hold 251, Non-Denominational churches 232, and Church of God congregations 147. Twelve Chicago church buildings hold National Register of Historic Places listings, from Holy Trinity Croatian Church (listed 1976) to Our Lady of Lourdes (listed 2025).

Which traditions have the most churches in Chicago?

The two Baptist blocks together total 507 Chicago listings, more than a quarter of the city. Catholic strength at 251 parishes reflects the archdiocese's dense urban network, even after decades of consolidations. Lutheran congregations hold 97, a reminder of the city's German and Scandinavian layers, and Seventh Day Adventist churches number 42. The 44-tradition spread is the widest of any city in this directory.

Congregations by tradition, Chicago (June 11, 2026)

Baptist Churches347
Catholic251
Non-Denominational232
Baptist Missionary Association of America160
Church of God147
Lutheran97
Methodist71
Seventh Day Adventist42
Community41
Evangelical41
Church of Christ39
Episcopal34

Which Chicago churches hold National Register of Historic Places listings?

12 Chicago church buildings hold National Register of Historic Places listings as of June 11, 2026. The register-listed congregations in this directory include Holy Trinity Croatian Church (listed 1976); Our Lady of Fatima (listed 2024); Holy Name (listed 2000); Our Lady of Lourdes Church (listed 2025); Helping Hand Missionary Baptist Church (listed 2016); Stone Temple Baptist Church (listed 2022); Fourth Presbyterian Church (listed 1975); Congregational Church of Jefferson Park (listed 2006); Second Presbyterian Church (listed 1974); First Immanuel Lutheran Church (listed 2024).

A sortable selection of Chicago churches by tradition

The table below holds 60 of Chicago's 1,875 congregations, selected for record completeness: register-listed buildings first, then congregations with verified details and working websites. The Chicago city page lists every congregation.

60 selected congregations of 1,875 listed in Chicago
ChurchTraditionStreetZIPRecords
Congregational Church of Jefferson ParkCongregational5320 West Giddings Street60630National Register, website
Epworth United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist5253 N. Kenmore Avenue60640National Register, website
Fourth Presbyterian ChurchEvangelical126 E Chestnut St60611National Register, website
Holy NameCatholic730 N. Wabash Ave60611National Register, website
Our Lady of FatimaCatholic2751 West 38Th. Place60632National Register, website
Second Presbyterian ChurchPresbyterian1936 South Michigan Avenue60616National Register, website
Stone Temple Baptist ChurchBaptist Churches3622 West Douglas Boulevard60623National Register, website
Chicago First CongregationalUnited Church of Christ1305 N Hamlin Ave60657National Register
First Immanuel Lutheran ChurchLutheran1124 South Ashland Avenue60607National Register
Helping Hand Missionary Baptist ChurchBaptist Missionary Association of America538 North Lavergne Avenue60644National Register
Holy Trinity Croatian ChurchNon-Denominational1850 South Throop Street60608National Register
Our Lady of Lourdes ChurchCatholic1444 South Keeler Avenue60623National Register
Abundant Life World OutreachAfrican Methodist Episcopal1336 N. Damen Ave.60622website
African CommunityMethodist4754 N Leavitt60625website
All Saints Church EpiscopalEpiscopal4550 North Hermitage Avenue60640website
All Saints Orthodox ChurchOrthodox3304 West Cullom Avenue60618website
Alpha Temple Baptist ChurchBaptist Churches6701 South Emerald Avenue60621website
Ambassador's for Christ ChurchNon-Denominational7859 South Ashland Avenue60620website
AnnunciataCatholic11128 S. Ave G60617website
Antioch Baptist ChurchBaptist Churches342 West 70Th Street60621website
Apostolic Faith ChurchApostolic6254 South Marshfield Avenue60636website
Apostolic Pentecostal ChurchApostolic11401 South Vincennes Avenue60643website
Armitage Baptist ChurchBaptist Churches2451 North Kedzie60647website
Ashburn Baptist ChurchBaptist Churches3647 West 83Rd Street60652website
Ashburn Lutheran ChurchLutheran3345 West 83Rd Street60652website
AssumptionCatholic323 W. Illinois Street60610website
Assumption BVMCatholic2434 S. California Ave60608website
Balm in Gilead Church of GodNon-Denominational8046 South Wabash60619website
Bellevue Baptist ChurchBaptist Churches10700 South Emerald Avenue60628website
Belmont Assembly of GodAssemblies of God6120 West Belmont Avenue60634website
Berry Memorial United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist4754 North Leavitt60625website
Bethany Baptist ChurchBaptist Churches3532 South Hoyne Avenue60609website
Bethany United Church of ChristUnited Church of Christ4250 North Paulina Street60613website
Beth Eden Baptist ChurchBaptist Churches11121 South Loomis Street60643website
Bethel Community ChurchCommunity7601 West Foster Avenue60656website
Bethel Deliverance Center Church of GodAfrican Methodist Episcopal5330 West Division Street60651website
Bethel House of Prayer ChurchNon-Denominational7066 N. Clark Street,60626website
Bethel Lutheran ChurchLutheran6201 South Sangamon Street60621website
Bethel Temple Assembly of GodAssemblies of God1450 West 19Th Street60608website
Bethlehem Lutheran ChurchLutheran9401 South Oakley Avenue60620website
Bethlehem Star Missionary Baptist ChurchBaptist Missionary Association of America9231 South Cottage Grove60619website
Beverly Evangelical ChurchEvangelical10545 South Claremont Avenue60643website
Bishop Anderson HouseEpiscopal707 South Wood Street60612website
Bishop Gerald AndersonApostolic2122 W. 79Th St60621website
Blessed Sacrament Parish ChicagoCatholic3528 S. Hermitage Ave.60609website
Body of Christ Missionary Baptist ChurchBaptist Churches2410 West 53Rd Street60634website
Brickyard Bible ChurchBible6334 West Diversey Avenue60639website
Broadway United Methodist ChurchMethodist3344 N Broadway60657website
Brotherly Love Baptist ChurchBaptist Churches3801 West Cermak Road60623website
Bryn Mawr Community ChurchCommunity7000 South Jeffery Boulevard60649website
Carter Temple Cme ChurchMethodist7841 South Wabash Avenue60619website
Cathedral of Saint JamesEpiscopalWabash Ave & Huron St60611website
Catholic Church Extension SocietyCatholic35 East Wacker Drive60601website
Celebrate Worship Alternative Worship ExperienceNon-Denominational60612website
Celestial Church of ChristChurch of Christ5335 South Greenwood Avenue60615website
Celestial Church of ChristChurch of Christ4003 North Broadway Street60613website
Celestial Church of ChristChurch of Christ5840 North Broadway Street60660website
Centennial Missionary Baptist ChurchBaptist Missionary Association of America824 East 43Rd Street60653website
Center for Church LifeNon-Denominational1164 East 58Th Street60637website
Central Assembly of GodAssemblies of God816 West 31St Street60608website

Where Chicago's churches stand: the map

The map shows the 60 selected congregations from the table above.

How to choose a church in Chicago: a practical checklist

1,845 of Chicago's 1,875 listings carry a phone number and 559 publish a website. A practical sequence for a newcomer:

  • Pick a side of the city first. Chicago is 25 miles end to end; the map above and the nearest-to-me button cut 1,875 candidates to a neighborhood list in seconds.
  • Check transit before driving. 1,734 Chicago churches sit within a quarter mile of a mapped stop, so a car-free Sunday is realistic in most neighborhoods.
  • Call before a first visit. With 67 ZIP codes of coverage, service formats vary enormously; the directory's phone coverage at 98 percent makes the two-minute call the fastest filter.

How this guide was assembled

The Churches List directory snapshot of June 11, 2026 records 1,875 congregations inside Chicago across 67 ZIP codes. 1,845 of those listings carry a phone number and 559 carry a website. National Register status comes from the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places database; 12 Chicago churches hold listings. Churches List does not rank congregations: the table sorts alphabetically within record-completeness groups, and the directory applies corrections submitted by churches, usually within two business days, through the corrections page.

Related reading in The Letter: Chicago's 1,734 transit-reachable churches ranks the city by stop density, the Chicago denomination grid maps the traditions block by block, and the Milwaukee guide covers the nearest big church city north. The Chicago city page lists every congregation.